An exciting programme of debates, discussions and talks about science, the arts, society and culture running throughout October and November. Let reason, dissent fight it out n this free exchange of ideas.
 
The main festival weekend (Saturday 31 October-Sunday 1 November at the Royal College of Art, London) focuses on four stands: The Global Economy, Reproductive Choice, Energy and Work.

 Should space travel play a part in our future? Should we sort out our problems on this planet before we start going in search of others? Who will become the new leaders of the space race?
 
These questions, and more, will be debated by a panel of experts. This event is part of the Battle of Ideas festival. 

Science and technology have carved a nice little niche for themselves on TV but are they being shouldered aside to the wee hours on the smaller digital channels to make room for big-audience entertainment?
 
Does the arrival of the BBC’s Bang Goes The Theory herald the return of science to the major channels’ primetime slots? Can science programming be intellectual and understanding?
 

Part of this year’s Battle of Ideas festival, this discussion looks at how space research and science fiction have influenced, reflected and overlapped each other. As the world’s space programmes have enjoyed successes and setbacks, so the visions presented in science fiction have echoed optimism and pessimism.